deSter is extending its worldwide manufacturing capability with a significant investment in new production technologies in Prachinburi, Thailand.
The facility is currently being expanded and a multimillion-dollar investment will bring in production equipment for wet molded fiber products, set to be fully operational from December 2022.
Wet molded fiber products will help cut the single use plastics in the on-board and foodservice markets and have become an integral part of the deSter product portfolio.
deSter is also an early adopter of the dry molded fiber production technology, originally developed by Pulpac. These capabilities are operational in its production site in Hoogstraten, Belgium. Dry molded fiber production does not consume any water and has a very low carbon footprint. All fiber products are and will be developed to be elemental chlorine free, home compostable and recyclable. In addition, the facility in Prachinburi will operate on a zero-emission basis for chemical and waste water and based on highly automated and BRC-certified processes.
Along with previous investments in Belgium and the US, deSter claims it will have state of the art production capabilities in three regions, supporting customers’ needs for flexibility and regional production.
Stef Van de Perre, president & managing director deSter, said: “This investment is another milestone in preparing deSter for the future. In close alignment with our customers and backed by our shareholders, we are continuously improving our production capabilities to better serve our customers, our employees and the planet. It also supports us in achieving our ESG targets of reducing our carbon footprint in operations by 25% and making all of our products either reusable, recyclable or compostable, both by 2025.”
